Climate Change is Changing our Future

Ann Paul, President

Over the summer, Tampa Audubon has been busy!

We had field trips, enjoyed some get togethers, worked on some projects (Colony Watch and efforts for the Joel Jackson Nature Center), and have been planning for the Fall-Winter-Spring meetings for 2025 and 2026. It’s interesting to think about planning for a future in a different sort of Florida.

The summers will be warmer, as our Earth’s climate changes warm the air, land, and water. The warmer water means our summer storms – the afternoon and evening storms we all know well – and the tropical hurricanes will be larger and more dangerous.

More water will be held aloft by the hotter air so the rainfall associated with the storms will cause flooding in low-lying areas and some areas that have not experienced floods before. Hurricanes will have higher winds, causing greater wind damage and pushing seawater inland, resulting in dangerous flood water surges.

All of this is scary. We need to take individual measures and plan to ensure that we and our families are safe.

As a community, it becomes even more important to protect natural areas, and especially riverine corridors, from development. Allowing homes and development in flood zones is simply not smart.

Reducing pavement to allow rainwater to soak into the landscape will be helpful. Yards and community landscapes planted with native vegetation that is carefully selected to survive – wetland plants in moist areas and plants adapted to drier habitats for more upland sites – will provide sustainable landscapes and food for our native birds and wildlife.

Investment in intelligently designed stormwater ponds that remove polluting oils, debris, and chemicals from our creeks, lakes, rivers, and estuary while retaining water and reduce flooding downstream, will help. Thoughtfully designing our county can make our region more sustainable and safer for everyone.

Frankly, I haven’t thought about what Hillsborough County may be like in 10, 25, or 50 years very often. Now, as we contemplate new threats, it is more important than ever that our leaders, Tampa Audubon, and ourselves all participate in these planning discussions.

Together, we can help shape a future that will be better – it may not reach the level of being “the best” – but it will reflect that Tampa Audubon helped direct a future Hillsborough for us and our beloved birds and wildlife.

Here are some ways you can help shape a better future:

• Be an active member of Tampa Audubon Society.

• Respond to requests from Conservation Chair Mary Keith to advocate for an immediate concern.

• Come to Tampa Audubon meetings so you can learn about our community’s issues.

• Manage your yard and home with low or no pesticide use, frugal use of pesticides, and install native plantings as much as possible.

• Participate in clean-up activities and work days.

• Share your thoughts and ideas with Tampa Audubon board members and follow up with personal commitments to participate.

Thanks for being part of this work for our future!